Flexible shaft and motor carrier



Feb. 6, 1945. w, SNYDER ETAL 2,368,731

FLEXIBLE SHAFT AND MOTOR CARRIER Filed Dec. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet lATTORNEYS 1345, w. n. SNYDER ET AL 2,368,731

FLEXIBLE SHAFT AND MOTOR CARRIER Filed Dec. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PAT Eur o FLEXIBLEsnAFiilN rl uoToncnnnrm I v Willis D. snggtalslllild Wilbur J. Emmer,

Ohio

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a flexible shaft and motor carrier and has foran object to provide a. simplified device of this character in which theweight of the device will be small, this bein accomplished by thecastored base sections being connected by the motor itself, thuseliminating the use of a separate base plate and its consequent weight.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having aspecial safety feature in the nature of a spring-pressed bearing forsupporting the belt drive to the motor so that in the event accessoriesor tools become lodged in the work the spring will allow the belt toslip and relieve the strain on the flexible shaft and the accessory ortool.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having an armprovided with a loop through the medium of which the carrier may besuspended from a carriage mounted on an overhead track.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which therear base section is 'provided at opposite sides of the motor withsupports or rests for receiving the flexible shaft when it is not in usewithout necessitating stopping of the motor.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will beformed of a few strong, simple and durable parts; which will beinexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure l is a side elevation of a flexible shaft and motor carrierconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the carrier shown in Figure 1 with themotor removed.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the carrier.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the carrier.

Figure 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional view showing the belt driveshaft, bearings therefor, post for the bearing and spring for yieldablysupporting'the post.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Figure 5, removedfrom the standard.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 6 with thepulley guard in section.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, the flexible shaft andmotor carrier comprises a base including a'front section l0 and a rearsection II, the front section being provided with a single castor l2 andthe rear section being provided with a pair of castors I3. The frontsection is provided'at its rear end with a transverse bar it, as bestshown in Figure 2, and the rear section consists of a transverse bar i 5having its end portions inclined outwardly and rearwardly. The castorsl3 are connected to the angular end portions of the rear section i5. Thebase plate 15 of an electric motor I! is secured respectively to thecross bar I4 and the rear section l5 of the base by bolts l8 and i9 sothat the motor connects the two sections of the base together withoutthe use of an additional base plate,

thus promoting lightness in weight of the structure.

A standard 20 is carried by the front base section in and is provided atits upper end with a socket 2!, best shown in Figure 5. The socketreceives a post 22 which is provided at the top with a transverse head23, best shown in Figure 7, and a cap plate 24 secured together byscrews 25. The head is provided with a semi-cylindrical groove 25 toreceive the lower side of a cylindrical housing 21 which is formedintegral with the cap plate. The cylindrical housing extendslongitudinally of the front base section l0, a best shown in Figure 1,and at the outer end is provided with stepped threaded shoulders 28 and29 to receive the outer casing 30 of a flexible shaft 3 I, the core ofwhich is to be driven by the motor H.

A counter shaft 32 is engaged longitudinally through the housing 21 andterminates at the front end near the stepped threaded shoulders where itis provided with a substantially rectangular socket 33 for receivingthe' core of the'flexible shaft 3|. A pair of spaced collars 34 aresecured in spaced relation on the shaft by set screws 35 and confineball bearing assemblies 36 against the ends of the housing to supportthe shaft for anti-friction rotation in the housing. A packing washer 31i interposed between the rear ball bearing assembly and the rear end 38of the housing, this end preferably being in the nature of a flanged capscrew-threadedly engaged with the rear end of the housing, as best shownin Figure 5.

The rear end of the shaft projects through the rear end i8 of thehousing and is equipped with a pulley 39 which is provided with aplurality of circumferential grooves 40 of diflerent diameters in aradial direction to interchangeably receive a belt 4| which is trainedover a similar pulley 42 on the shaft 43 of the electric motor l1, asbesshown in Figure l.

The post 22 is supported upon a helical spring 44 which is confined inthe socket 2| of the standard 20, as best shown in Figure 5. The springyieldably supports the shaft 32, which carries the flexible shaft 3i.Should accessories or a tool become lodged in the work, the spring willyield and allow the belt M to slip, thus relieving strain on theflexible shaft and on the tool or accessory.

A one piece substantially convex cap 45 is disposed over the pulley 39and is provided with securing lugs 46, 'best shown in' Figure 7, withwhich the beforementioned screws 35 are threadedly engaged to secure thecap 45 to the cap plate 24 of the head 23 carried :by the post 22.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, an arcuate arm 41 extends rearwardlyfrom the standard 20, above the motor I! and forms a handle through .themedium of which the device may be manipulated if desired. The arm isequipped at the end 4 with a loop 48, through the medium of which thedevice may be suspended from the carriage of an overhead track whendesired.

Upwardly extending bifurcated arm 49 are secured by the motor securingbolts I! to the transverse bar l5 of the rear base plate IS. The upperends of the arms are adapted to receive and support the free end of theflexible shaft 3| when the shaft is not in use, as best shown in Figure1.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood without furtherexplanation. I

What is claimed is:

. In a support for a portable power plant of the type having a motor anda countershaft driven from the motonan integral frame section comprisinga longitudinally extending elongated bottom portion having its rear endrigidly fastened to the motor, a standard rising vertically from thefront part of said longitudinally extending portion, said standardhaving a socket in its upper end adapted to receive a dependingprojection of a countershaft support, and a guiding and lifting armextending rearwardly from the upper partof the standard. y WILLIS D.SNYDER. WILBUR. J. EMMER.

